Methods for website version control using bucket cookies

ABSTRACT

A system and method are presented for addressing or requesting different versions of a web resource. A first web server electronically connected to a computer network receives from a requestor a first web resource request. The first web resource request includes a bucket cookie and a first web resource address for a first web resource. The bucket cookie includes at least one resource-related bucket cookie value. A second web resource request is generated. The second web resource request corresponds to at least a second web resource required to fulfill the first web resource request. The second web resource request is different from the first web resource request and includes a second web resource address corresponding to the second web resource and including the bucket cookie. The second web resource request is transmitted to a second web server.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to web resources, and, morespecifically, to methods for addressing or requesting different versionsof a web resource with bucket cookies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Web-based software systems are often complex systems with manyinter-twined subsystems. One particular subsystem will not know all thesubsystems involved in the user's request/experience. Users of theseweb-based systems get one version of each particular subsystem workingto fulfill the user's request. Those versions of the subsystems aretypically specified by the system itself and not by the user of thesystem. Indeed, in general, a common user would not know how to judgewhat versions of each subsystem to engage for their web request.However, Testing, Quality Assurance, Development, and other pre-releaseusers routinely need to access highly specific versions of one or moresubsystems out of the whole collection of inter-twined subsystems.

Existing solutions for requesting particular versions of web resourcesat run-time may involve including a version number or other identifierof a particular version into a website address as a sub-domain, folder,or query portion. Though suitable for some applications, these solutionsdo not meet the needs of all applications and/or settings. For example,backend services or other second-level web services are excluded fromsuch direct run-time version specification. A user cannot easily accessa user-facing page of a website and directly specify which version of abackend service to use (e.g., which version of a mail service or of anews ticker service to use). To do so would require multiple versions ofthe user-facing page that each corresponds to different versions ofbackend services. For example, if three versions of one particularbackend service are specifiable, then three different versions of theuser-facing page must be created and individually maintained. A user canthen call one of these three user-facing pages to access differentversions of the backend service. If a second backend service also hasthree different versions that are specifiable, then nine versions of theuser-facing page must be created and maintained in order access allpermutations of the website. As can be readily understood, the burden ofcreating and maintaining multiple different versions of specifiableuser-facing web pages in order to test or access multiple differentversions of backend services increases rapidly as the number ofvariations increases. Further, it is not possible to specify at run-timevarious versions of additional backend services that exist behind thefirst layer of backend services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a web server and an associatedcontextual operating environment in accordance with various embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a method implementing bucket cookies inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3-5 are flowcharts depicting variations of the method of FIG. 2 inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks byproviding a method for run-time specification of web resource versionsthat reduces or eliminates the complexity and overhead burden ofcreating and maintaining multiple versions of user-facing web resourcesto access various versions of second-level web resources. Anunderstanding and/or mapping of received web resource requests toversions of web resources is not required to be maintained at theuser-facing web resource level. The approach described herein allows forimplementation of a virtually limitless variety of versions of webresources to be specified at run-time with little to no additionaloverhead maintenance. Further, the embodiments describe a mechanism bywhich users can elect to utilize particular versions of web resourceswithout directly interacting with those web resources or without evenhaving direct access to those web resources. Moreover, in someembodiments, run-time version specification can be propagated beyond asecond level of web resources to further levels, thereby increasing theversatility of run-time version specification.

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first web serverelectronically connected to a computer network from a requestorelectronically connected to the first web server via the computernetwork, a first web resource request. The first web resource requestincludes a bucket cookie and a first web resource address for a firstweb resource. The bucket cookie includes at least one resource-relatedbucket cookie value. The method includes generating, by the first webserver, a second web resource request. The second web resource requestcorresponds to at least a second web resource required to fulfill thefirst web resource request. The second web resource request is differentfrom the first web resource request and includes a second web resourceaddress corresponding to the second web resource and including thebucket cookie. The method includes transmitting, by the first webserver, the second web resource request to a second web server.

In another embodiment, a web server configured to receive a first webresource request. The first web resource request includes a first webresource address and a bucket cookie. The bucket cookie includes atleast one resource-related bucket cookie value. The web server isconfigured to generate a second web resource request. The second webresource request corresponds to at least a second web resource relatedto the first web resource request. The second web resource request isdifferent from the first web resource request and includes a second webresource address corresponding to the second web resource and includingthe bucket cookie. The web server is configured to request the secondweb resource with the second web resource request.

In another embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first webserver in electronic communication with a computer network from a clientdevice in communication with the computer network, a first web resourcerequest including a bucket cookie, and determining, by the first webserver, whether the bucket cookie includes at least a firstresource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to a first webresource to be provided by the first web server in response to the firstweb resource request. The method includes outputting, by the first webserver, a second web resource request to a second web server for asecond web resource. The second web resource request includes anunaltered version of the bucket cookie. The method includes receiving,by the first web server from the second web server in response to thesecond web resource request, a version of the second web resourcecorresponding to a second resource-related bucket cookie value of thebucket cookie, and providing, by the first web server to the clientdevice, at least the first web resource and the second web resource.

Referring first to FIG. 1, web servers 100 are shown (e.g., servers,server devices, network servers, computer servers, or the like). The webservers 100 may include a first web server 102. In certain embodiments,the first web server 102 may be communicatively coupled to one or moreother web servers 100, for example, a second web server 104, a third webserver 106, and/or a fourth web server 108. The web servers 100 may eachinclude one or more processing devices (such as one or more centralprocessors) and may include or be communicatively coupled to a networkinterface. Each network interface may in turn be communicatively coupledto a wide-area network such as the Internet 110 thereby coupling eachweb server to the World Wide Web. Alternatively, various web servers 100may be communicatively coupled over a local area network (LAN). In sucha configuration, a collection of web servers 100 may operate together toprovide a web resource (e.g., a website, webpage, web service, or thelike). Each of the web servers 100 may be one of many servers, forexample, as part of a server farm configured to service a large numberof client devices 112. A plurality of web servers 100 may becommunicatively coupled together through a network with other controlcomputers configured to control aspects of the web servers and to routecommunications to and from the servers 100. In one embodiment, the webservers 100 are configured to communicatively couple to a client device112 through the Internet 110 to provide a web resource to the clientdevice 112. For example, as is shown in FIG. 1, the first web server 102may be communicatively coupled to the client device 112 directly orthrough one or more intermediary web servers.

Communications between the servers 100 and/or the client device(s) 112may be achieved using any electronic communication medium, communicationprotocol, and computer software suitable for transmission of data overthe internet 110 or a LAN. Examples include, respectively and withoutlimitation: a wired connection, WiFi or other wireless network, cellularnetwork, or satellite network; Transmission Control Protocol andInternet Protocol (“TCP/IP”), Global System for mobile Communications(“GSM”) protocols, code division multiple access (“CDMA”) protocols, andLong Term Evolution (“LTE”) mobile phone protocols; web browsers such asMICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER, MOZILLA FIREFOX, and APPLE SAFARI; andother client-executable software modules.

The client device 112 may comprise various computing devices such as,for example, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, other network servers, or any other electronic device capable ofcommunicating with the servers 100 over the Internet 110. Such a clientdevice 112 may include one or more processing devices, display devices,user interfaces, and/or network interfaces. Typically, though notalways, the client device 112 is utilized by a user to access theservers 100 or a web resource provided by one or more of the servers100. The user may be an individual, a group of individuals, a businessor other organization, or any other entity that desires to access a webresource. For clarity of explanation, and not to limit theimplementation of the present methods and devices, the methods aredescribed herein as being performed primarily by the first web server102 interfacing with a client device 112 or another server unlessotherwise indicated. However, such methods are equally applicable toimplementation on any one of a variety of servers 100.

Various ones of the web servers 100 may include or be configured tocommunicate electronically with one or more data stores in order toretrieve information from the data store. For example, the first webserver 102 may include or be coupled to a data store 114. In someembodiments, a data store may be a component of one or more of theservers 100, such as, for example, a memory device within any one of theservers 100 or communicatively coupled to any one of the servers 100(such as a memory module or a disk drive). In other embodiments, a datastore may be part of one of the servers 100 and made accessible to otherones of the servers 100, or as part of a network-accessible data store.Electronic communication with the data store may be achieved over theInternet 110 using any suitable electronic communication medium,communication protocol, and computer software including, withoutlimitation: a wired connection, WiFi or other wireless network, cellularnetwork, or satellite network; TCP/IP or another open or encryptedprotocol; browser software, application programming interfaces,middleware, or dedicated software programs. Electronic communicationwith the data store may be achieved over another type of network, suchas an intranet or virtual private network, or may be via direct wiredcommunication interfaces or any other suitable interface fortransmitting data electronically from a data store to any one of the webservers 100. A data store may be any repository of information that isor can be made freely or securely accessible by the web server 100. Inone embodiment, such a data store may store cached versions of webresources such as websites or web services.

In the present disclosure, the term web resource may include anywebpage, website, code, content, communications, information, or datathat may be provided to a client device 112 or another serverelectronically. The term website or webpage may include any public,private, or semi-private web property on which a user may maintaininformation and allow the information to be presented to the public orto a limited audience, and which is communicable via the Internet 110 oranother network. Non-limiting examples of such web properties includewebsites, mobile websites, web pages within a larger website (e.g.profile pages on a social networking website), vertical informationportals, distributed applications, and other organized data sourcesaccessible by any device that may request data from a storage device(e.g., a client device in a client-server architecture), via a wired orwireless network connection, including, but not limited to, a desktopcomputer, mobile computer, telephone, or other wireless mobile device;content feeds and streams including RSS feeds, blogs and vlogs, YOUTUBEchannels and other video streaming services, and the like; anddownloadable digital platforms, such as electronic newsletters, blastemails, PDFs and other documents, programs, and the like.

The information on websites or web pages may be in the form ofprogrammed source code that a client browser interprets to determinewhat to present or what action to take. The source code may includedocument formats, objects, parameters, positioning instructions, andother code that is defined in one or more web programming or markuplanguages. One web programming language is HyperText Markup Language(“HTML”), which most web pages use to some extent. HTML uses textindicators called tags to provide interpretation instructions to thebrowser. The tags specify the composition of design elements such astext, media, images, shapes, hyperlinks to other web pages, programmingobjects such as JAVA applets, form fields, tables, and other elements.The web page can be formatted for proper display on computer systemswith widely varying display parameters, due to differences in screensize, resolution, processing power, and maximum download speeds.

In at least one embodiment, run-time version specification for webresources may be achieved using buckets. Buckets is a website deploymentand installation technique that allows users to easily address orrequest different running versions of a web resource (e.g., a website orother hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) application) while not changingthe web resource's web address or code. In one embodiment, bucketcookies are used to provide the version addressing mechanism.

In a contextual example used throughout this disclosure, a teamdeveloping a website for www.example.com may implement the bucketcookies technique to test various features within the example.comwebsite. For example, a first user may request a first bucket version ofthe website to test an email application feature branch, while a seconduser may request a second bucket version of the website to test a newsticker application feature branch. These tests may be performed whilemaintaining a live version of the website and without downtime in thelive website or between tests. In one embodiment, the bucket versionsare specified using bucket cookies that are passed to the web serveralong with the website request. The bucket cookie may be created by theusers and may indicate a particular version of the web resource orwebsite that is requested. A receiving web server can route the incomingrequest to the version of the web resource or website indicated in thebucket cookie.

In one embodiment, different versions of the base website can be createdthat request different particular versions of secondary web resources orbackend services. In so doing, individual first-level feature branchescan be tested by calling different versions of the main website. Thisembodiment may require that each version of the base website beprogrammed to call a particular version of a secondary web resource orbe configured to map a received bucket cookie to a corresponding versionof a secondary web resource. Though useful, such an approach may requireknowledge of nearly every backend web service and its associated bucketcookie and/or versions, which can be burdensome to implement andmaintain.

In another embodiment, a bucket cookie may be passed to a web serverimplementing a web resource (e.g., a website) along with the webresource request (e.g., website request). The web server can then passthe bucket cookie on to any requested secondary web resources (e.g.,backend web resources) with which the web server communicates to fulfillthe initial web resource request. In this embodiment, the web serverneed not know whether a particular version of the secondary web servicewas requested in the bucket cookie, or if the requested secondary webservice even supports the bucket cookie technique. The secondary webservice can then review the received bucket cookie and return aparticular version of the secondary web service if a particular versionis indicated in the bucket cookie. Further, in another embodiment, thesecondary web service may propagate the bucket cookie to other webservices it may subsequently call thereby allowing a user or a testingprogram to specify particular versions of even deeper subsystems beyondsecond level web resources. In one example implementation, thisembodiment of the bucket cookies technique can be particularly usefulfor teams or individuals that use feature branching because thisembodiment enables testing of different feature builds or brancheswithin the same base operating environment.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a flowchart is provided illustrating a method 200in accordance with various embodiments. This method 200 is describedwith constant reference to the elements illustrated in FIG. 1, as well.Further, the first web server 102 may be configured to execute all orparts of the method 200 and other methods described herein. In oneembodiment, at step 202, the first web server 102 receives a first webresource request. For example, the first web resource request may be arequest for a website, web page, web content, data, code, or other webresources described herein and as understood by one of skill in the art.Receipt of the first web resource request is shown as the communication116 received from the Internet 110. Though depicted in FIG. 1 asoriginating at a client device 112 and transmitted via the Internet 110,it should be understood that the origination of the web resource requestmay be from another web server or other device capable of communicatingwith the first web server 102. Additionally, the first web resourcerequest may be received via other communication paths, including a LANor other connections or networks described herein and as understood byone of skill in the art.

In one embodiment, the first web resource request comprises or includesa first web resource address (for example, a URL or other HTTP address).In certain examples, the first web server 102 is responsible forproviding the requested web resource (e.g., the requested website). Forexample, the first web server 102 may have an Internet Protocol (IP)address corresponding to a Domain Name System (DNS) lookup related tothe first web resource address (e.g., URL). In another example, thefirst web server 102 may receive the first web resource request afterbeing routed through one or more front-end reception web serversconfigured to accept and route web resource requests to responsible webservers, for example, the first web server 102 in this embodiment. Thefirst web resource request may also include therewith, or as a portionthereof, a bucket cookie. The bucket cookie includes at least oneresource-related bucket cookie value. The bucket cookie and itsresource-related bucket cookie values are described in further detailelsewhere in this disclosure.

At step 204, the first web server 102 generates a second web resourcerequest. In one embodiment, this second web resource request is for asecond web resource that is required to fulfill the first web resourcerequest. For example, if the first web resource request is for a websiteor web page, the second web resource request may be a request for one ormore secondary web resources such as backend services that are requiredas part of the website. The website, as managed by the first web server102, is configured to utilize and call these backend services withoutfurther action by the initial requesting user, device, or entity. Forexample, if the requested website includes an email backend service, thefirst web server 102 generates the second web service request to receivethe email backend service. The email backend service may thereafter beintegrated into the requested website or returned to the originatingrequester as part of the requested website by the first web server 102.Innumerable examples of secondary web resources and backend services arepossible and the present disclosure contemplates that the teachingsdescribed herein may be applied equally to most if not all secondary webresources or backend services.

In certain embodiments, the second web resource request is differentfrom the first web resource request and may include a second webresource address corresponding to the second web resource. For example,if the first web resource request is a URL http://www.example.com, thesecond web resource request may be a different URLhttp://email_service.xyz.com to request an email backend service.

The second web resource request also includes the bucket cookie. In oneembodiment, this bucket cookie of the second web resource is anunaltered version of the original bucket cookie received as part of thefirst web resource request. By including the unaltered bucket cookie inthe second web request, the bucket cookie and all of itsresource-related bucket cookie values specifying particular versions ofweb resources can be passed along to other secondary web serversproviding secondary web resources or services. In certain embodiments,these secondary web servers may then review the bucket cookie receivedas part of the second web resource request to determine if it includes aresource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to a web resource itprovides. In an embodiment where the bucket cookie includes aresource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to a particularversion of the second web resource, the second web server 104 mayresponsively provide the indicated version of the second web resource.In this manner, the website as managed by the first web server 102 neednot be aware of all versions of secondary web services (or web serviceseven beyond that). The first web server 102 instead passes the bucketcookie along to allow the secondary services to handle their own versionmanagement as may be specified in the bucket cookie.

At step 206, the method 200 includes effecting transmission of thesecond web resource request to a second web server 104. This isindicated in FIG. 1 by communication 118 and/or 120. Much as the firstweb resource request may be received in a multitude of different mannersfrom a variety of originating sources, so too can the second webresource request be sent. For example, the second web resource requestcan be sent to the second web server 104 via local communication 118through a direct connection or through a LAN. Alternatively, second webresource request can be sent via the Internet 110 via communication 120.Indeed, in certain embodiments, the first web server 102 may similarlycommunicate with multiple other web servers 100, including the third webserver 106 as indicated by communications 122 and 124 and the fourth webserver 108 as indicated by communications 126 and 128 locally or throughthe Internet 110.

In certain embodiments, the first web server 102 and the second webserver 104 (or any of the web servers 100) may be owned, operated,and/or managed by a single entity. Additionally, although the webservers 100 are depicted and described as separate hardware entities, incertain embodiments various ones of the web servers 100 (for example,the first web server 102 and the second web server 104) may be the samesingle web server implementing both the first web resource and thesecond web resource. In such an embodiment, a first web resource mayrequire the use of another locally stored and/or managed web resource(e.g., module of code, etc.) on the same web server as the second webresource. In such an instance, for example, the second web resourceaddress may be a simple local file location address or the like, asopposed to a URL. In other embodiments, the first web server 102 and thesecond web server 104 (or any of the web servers 100) may be owned,operated, and/or managed by separate entities. These separate entitiesmay co-operate through various agreements to provide the web resources(for example, a fee may be provided to access and use the second webresource).

According to various embodiments, at step 208, the first web server 102receives from the second web server 104 the second web resource. In anembodiment where the bucket cookie includes a resource-related bucketcookie value corresponding to a particular version of the second webresource, the received second web resource may be that particularversion of the second web resource corresponding to the resource-relatedbucket cookie value included in the bucket cookie. Again, this occurswithout the first web server 102 being required to have the knowledge ofthis version or even that a particular version of the second webresource was requested.

In certain embodiments, in step 210, the first web server 102 respondsto the first web resource request by providing the second web resourceas at least a part of its response. Such a response is shown ascommunication 134 via the Internet 110, though other methods ofcommunication as discussed herein or elsewhere may be equally asapplicable.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an alternative method 300 is illustrated inaccordance with various embodiments. Again, this method 300 is describedwith constant reference to the elements illustrated in FIG. 1. At step302, as alluded to above, in an embodiment where the bucket cookieincludes a resource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to aparticular version of the second web resource, the second web server 104may respond to the second web resource request by providing theparticular version of the second web resource corresponding to theresource-related bucket cookie value. Continuing the previous example,if the second web server 104 stores, manages, and/or runs the emailbackend service, the second web server 104 can provide a particularversion of that email backend service identified by the bucket cookie.However, in an embodiment where a particular version of the second webresource is not specified in the bucket cookie, the second web server104 may simply return the current live version of the web resource as itwould in response to a normal resource request without the bucketcookie.

In certain embodiments, the second web server 104 may need to callfurther backend web services itself. For example, the second web server104 running an email backend web service may need to invoke an emailinbox web service that is provided on a third web server 106. The secondweb server 104 can propagate the bucket cookie by including it in anysubsequent web resource requests it may make. At step 304, the secondweb server 104 may generate a third web resource request correspondingto a third web resource required to fulfill the second web resourcerequest. The third web resource request may be different from the secondweb resource request (for example, a URL http://email_inbox.xyz.com).Further, the third web resource request may include the bucket cookie.The second web server 104 may then transmit the third web resourcerequest including the bucket cookie to the third web server 106 asindicated in FIG. 1 by communication 136. The third web server 106 cansubsequently respond with the requested third web resource as isindicated by communication 138. The third web resource may be aparticular version specified in the bucket cookie or the presentlyoffered live version of the third web resource if no particular versionis specified.

This step 304 may be recursively performed again by the third web server106 passing the bucket cookie in a resource request to a fourth webserver 108, and so forth. By this, a user at an originating clientdevice 112 is capable of specifying particular versions of tertiary webresources (and other web resources beyond that as well) without thefirst web server 102 requiring knowledge of the various versions of webresources or even knowing that a particular version of a web resourcewas specified.

Turning now to FIG. 4, another alternative method 400 is illustrated inaccordance with various embodiments. Again, the method 400 is describedwith constant reference to the elements illustrated in FIG. 1. At step402, the first web server 102 receives from a client device 112 a firstweb resource request including a bucket cookie. This receipt isindicated in FIG. 1 as communication 116. At step 404, the first webserver 102 determines whether the bucket cookie includes a firstresource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to a first webresource to be provided by the first web server 102. This can beperformed by the first web server 102 reviewing the bucket cookie andsearching for a particular resource-related bucket cookie value namethat corresponds to the web resource it provides. If a firstresource-related bucket cookie value does correspond to the first webresource, the first web server 102 can provide to the client device 112the particular version of the first web resource indicated by the firstresource-related bucket cookie value. If not, the first web server 102can provide the present live version of the first web resource.

At step 406, the first web server 102 can output a second web resourcerequest to a second web server 104 for a second web resource. Thisoutput is indicated in FIG. 1 by communication 118 or 120. For example,the second web resource may be required by the first web server 102 tofulfill the first web resource request. The second web resource requestmay include the unaltered bucket cookie sent to the second web server104.

After receipt of the second web resource request from the first webserver 102, the second web server 104 may determine whether the bucketcookie includes a second resource-related bucket cookie valuecorresponding to a second web resource to be provided by the second webserver 104. If so, at step 408, the second web server 104 may provide aparticular version of the second web resource indicated by the secondresource-related bucket cookie value. This is indicated in FIG. 1 bycommunication 130 or 132. At step 410 the first web server 102, afterreceipt of the second web resource, may provide to the client device 112the first web resource (if it has not yet done so) and the second webresource. This is indicated in FIG. 1 by communication 134.

If a web server receives a bucket cookie including an invalid bucketcookie value related to a web resource that the web server provides, inone embodiment, the web server may return an error. In anotherembodiment, the web server may simply return the present live version ofthe web resource. However, in certain application settings (e.g.,testing), returning an error or another indication that the web resourcerequest is invalid may be more beneficial as it will indicate to theuser that they are not capable of running the specified version. If thepresent live version is returned, in a testing setting, the user maydiscover errors or other testing anomalies without the knowledge thatthe errors may have been caused by an improper version of a web resourcebeing provided.

Some web servers 100 may implement web resource caching. For example,the first web server 102 may cache a received version of a second webresource from a second web server 104 in a data store 114. As isunderstood in the art, caching can reduce access time for web resourcesand limit repetitive data traffic on various networks. However, incertain embodiments of the present disclosure, caching can present anissue as to providing particular versions of web resources. For example,if the first web server 102 does cache the second web resource from thesecond web server 104, but a client device 112 specifies a particularversion of the second web resource in a bucket cookie, the first webserver 102 may simply return its cached version of the second webresource. This cached version may or may not be the correct particularversion specified in the bucket cookie. This may be due in part to thefact that the first web server 102 is not required to have knowledge ofwhat versions are available for the second web resource or even whethera particular version is requested.

One solution is to disable caching in systems implementing the disclosedbucket cookie techniques. However, this may not be suitable for everyapplication setting. At least one method 500 in FIG. 5 is described toallow caching while implementing the bucket cookie techniques. In oneembodiment, at step 502, the first web server 102 may cache a particularversion of the second web resource received from the second web server104. The first web server 102 can also catalog that cached version witha cache key related to the bucket cookie. This cache key may beassociated with the appropriate cached version of the second webresource via a lookup table or other known technique of cataloging. Inthis embodiment, the first web server 102 may store multiple versions ofthe second web resource, each cataloged with a particular cache keycorresponding to a unique bucket cookie.

One method of generating the cache key, as is illustrated at step 504,is for the first web server 102 to generate a hash of the bucket cookieto be or be included as a part of the cache key. The hash may begenerated by any known means and will yield a unique hash value for eachunique bucket cookie. This hash value may then be used as or as part ofthe cache key. In one embodiment, the entire bucket cookie is runthrough the hash algorithm so that the entire bucket cookie is accountedfor in the cache key. In this embodiment, multiple instances of the sameversion of a second web resource may be cached with differentcorresponding cache keys. This is because if any individualresource-related bucket cookie value within the bucket cookie is added,removed, or changed, a different cache key will be generated. This istrue even if the change within the bucket cookie is entirely independentof the second web resource. Thus two different first web resourcerequests may actually use the same version of the second web resource,but may request different versions of other secondary web resources.Because the first web server 102 is not required to be aware of whichversions of secondary web resources are available, it is not required tobe aware of which individual resource-related bucket cookie value withinthe bucket cookie correspond to which secondary web resources.Therefore, the first web server 102 may assume that any change in thebucket cookie could be pertinent to the particular cached version of thesecond web resource and therefore may assume the need to cache a newlyreceived version of the second web resource.

In an alternative embodiment, the first web server 102 may be able torun a hash over a cached version of a second web resource or compare itto other cached versions to determine if repeat versions of the secondweb resource are stored in the cache. The first web server 102 couldthen subsequently redirect various ones of the cache keys associatedwith repeat instances of a cached version of the second web resource toa single stored version to reduce storage space if so desired.

At step 506, the first web server 102 may determine whether a cachedversion of the second web resource corresponding to the bucket cookieexists. For example, if a cached version does exist with a particularcache key generated from a particular bucket cookie, if the same bucketcookie is subsequently submitted, the first web server 102 can generatethe cache key from that bucket cookie and see that it matches a cachekey already generated. The first web server 102 can then return thatcorresponding cached version of the second web resource.

Similarly, at step 508, the first web server 102 can determine if acached version of an output responsive to the first web resource requestand corresponding to the bucket cookie exists. This output version maybe an output that includes various secondary web resources incorporatedwith the first web resource (e.g., a complete webpage). The first webserver 102 can generate a cache key from the received bucket cookie anddetermine if a matching cache key already exists. If a match is found,the first web server 102 can thereafter return the corresponding cachedversion of the output to the client device 112 (or requesting webserver).

Although the embodiments described herein refer to a first web server102, it should be understood that, because the embodiments may berecursively implemented, the embodiments are able to be implemented on asecond web server 104, third web server 106, and so forth. Thedesignation “first web server” does not necessarily indicate that it isthe first web server to respond to a web resource request generated atan originating client device 112, but merely that it is a first webserver of a particular portion of web servers within a recursive stringof web servers implementing a web resource request. Further, it shouldbe understood that the first web server 102, or any of the other webservers 100 may be configured to perform various ones of the stepsoutlined in the various methods of FIGS. 2-5.

In various embodiments, a bucket cookie may be a web cookie, browsercookie, or HTTP cookie that can be generated by a requesting user orrequesting device using a browser as is understood in the art. Thebucket cookie is sent to the web server as part of or along with a webresource request. For example, a bucket cookie may have the followingform:

-   -   Cookie:        tekcub=bucket_site_key1=bucket_id1&bucket_site_key2=bucket_id2 .        . . &bucket_site_keyN=bucket_keyN;

The example cookie name “tekcub” (bucket spelled backwards) may be used,or another cookie name may be used. However, the bucket cookie nameshould be consistent so that a web server implementing the bucket cookietechnique can identify the bucket cookie as such. The bucket cookie mayinclude a single resource-related bucket cookie value or a plurality ofresource-related bucket cookie values. Individual resource-relatedbucket cookie values may each have the form bucket_site_key=bucket_id. Abucket_site_key may be a short unique name used to identify a webresource to which the bucket_id applies. In certain approaches, aregistry of bucket_site_key may be implemented and maintained so thatduplicate identifiers are reduced or eliminated. The bucket_id may be aunique identifier for a particular version of a web resource (i.e., theweb resource identified by the bucket_site_key identifier). For example,a resource-related bucket cookie value specifying a particular versionof an email resource may look something like the following:email_service=email_build_08772. Similarly, a resource-related bucketcookie value specifying a particular version of a web store interfacemay look something like the following: web_store=update-057. An exampleof an overall bucket cookie may look something like the following:

-   -   Cookie: tekcub=email_service=email_build_087721    -   &web_store=update-057&email_inbox=ver93.32    -   &front_of_service=master-v.6.3&header_gif=soccer34;

It should be understood that many variations are possible as to theformat of the bucket cookie while still achieving the same result.

So described, methods are provided that allow for implementation of avirtually limitless variety of versions of web resources to be specifiedat run-time with little to no additional overhead maintenance. Further,the embodiments describe a mechanism by which users can elect to utilizeparticular versions of web resources without directly interacting withthose web resources or without even having direct access to those webresources. Moreover, in some embodiments, run-time version specificationcan be propagated beyond a second level of web resources to furtherlevels, thereby increasing the versatility and usefulness of run-timeversion specification.

The schematic flow chart diagrams included are generally set forth aslogical flow-chart diagrams. As such, the depicted order and labeledsteps are indicative of various embodiments of the presented method.Other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent infunction, logic, or effect to one or more steps, or portions thereof, ofthe illustrated method. Additionally, the format and symbols employedare provided to explain the logical steps of the method and areunderstood not to limit the scope of the method. Although various arrowtypes and line types may be employed in the flow-chart diagrams, theyare understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method.Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only thelogical flow of the method. For instance, an arrow may indicate awaiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumeratedsteps of the depicted method. Additionally, the order in which aparticular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order ofthe corresponding steps shown.

Various embodiments of the invention may be implemented at least in partin any conventional computer programming language. For example, someembodiments may be implemented in a procedural programming language(e.g., “C”, and the like), or in an object oriented programming language(e.g., “C++” “JAVA”, and the like). Other embodiments of the inventionmay be implemented as preprogrammed hardware elements (e.g., applicationspecific integrated circuits, FPGAs, and digital signal processors), orother related components.

In some embodiments, the disclosed apparatus and methods (e.g., see thevarious flow charts described above) may be implemented as a computerprogram product for use with a computer system. Such implementation mayinclude a series of computer instructions fixed either on a tangiblemedium, such as a computer readable medium (e.g., a diskette, CD-ROM,ROM, or fixed disk) or transmittable to a computer system, via a modemor other interface device, such as a communications adapter connected toa network over a medium.

The medium may be either a tangible medium (e.g., optical or analogcommunications lines) or a medium implemented with wireless techniques(e.g., WiFi, microwave, infrared or other transmission techniques). Theseries of computer instructions can embody all or part of thefunctionality previously described herein with respect to the system.

Those skilled in the art should appreciate that such computerinstructions can be written in a number of programming languages for usewith many computer architectures or operating systems. Furthermore, suchinstructions may be stored in any memory device, such as semiconductor,magnetic, optical or other memory devices, and may be transmitted usingany communications technology, such as optical, infrared, microwave, orother transmission technologies.

Among other ways, such a computer program product may be distributed asa removable medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation(e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g.,on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronicbulletin board over the network (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web).Of course, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as acombination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) andhardware. Still other embodiments of the invention are implemented asentirely hardware, or entirely software.

The present invention has been described in terms of one or morepreferred embodiments, and it should be appreciated that manyequivalents, alternatives, variations, and modifications, aside fromthose expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of theinvention.

We claim:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a first web serverelectronically connected to a computer network from a requestorelectronically connected to the first web server via the computernetwork, a first web resource request, the first web resource requestincluding a bucket cookie and a first web resource address for a firstweb resource, the bucket cookie including at least one resource-relatedbucket cookie value; generating, by the first web server, a second webresource request, the second web resource request corresponding to atleast a second web resource required to fulfill the first web resourcerequest, the second web resource request being different from the firstweb resource request and including a second web resource addresscorresponding to the second web resource and including the bucketcookie; transmitting, by the first web server, the second web resourcerequest to a second web server, wherein the at least oneresource-related bucket cookie value corresponds to a particular versionof the second web resource; responding, by the second web server, to thesecond web resource request by providing at least the second webresource, the second web resource comprising the particular version ofthe second web resource to which the at least one resource-relatedbucket cookie value corresponds; generating, by the second web server, athird web resource request, the third web resource request correspondingto a third web resource required to fulfill the second web resourcerequest, the third web resource request being different from the secondweb resource request and including: a third web resource addresscorresponding to the third web resource; and the bucket cookie; andtransmitting, by the second web server, the third web resource requestto a third web server.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second webresource request includes an unaltered version of the bucket cookie. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising caching, by the first webserver, the particular version of the second web resource and cataloginga cached version of the second web resource with a cache key related atleast in part to the bucket cookie.
 4. The method of claim 3, whereincataloging the cached version of the second web resource includesgenerating a hash of the bucket cookie to be included as at least aportion of the cache key.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingreceiving, by the first web server from the second web server, thesecond web resource, wherein the second web resource corresponds to theat least one of the resource-related bucket cookie value of the bucketcookie.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising responding, by thefirst web server, to the first web resource request by providing atleast the second web resource to the requestor.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein the first web resource is managed by the first web server andthe at least one resource-related bucket cookie value corresponds to aparticular version of the first web resource, and wherein the first webserver responds to the first web resource request by further providingthe particular version of the first web resource.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the first web resource request corresponds to a request toaccess a website and the second web resource comprises a backendservice.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, bythe first web server, whether a cached version of the second webresource corresponding to the bucket cookie exists.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising determining, by the first web server,whether a cached version of a response to the first web resource requestcorresponding to the bucket cookie exists.
 11. A method, comprising:receiving, by a first web server in electronic communication with acomputer network from a client device in communication with the computernetwork, a first web resource request including a bucket cookie;determining, by the first web server, whether the bucket cookie includesat least a first resource-related bucket cookie value corresponding to afirst web resource to be provided by the first web server in response tothe first web resource request; outputting, by the first web server, asecond web resource request to a second web server for a second webresource, the second web resource request including an unaltered versionof the bucket cookie; receiving, by the first web server from the secondweb server in response to the second web resource request, a version ofthe second web resource corresponding to a second resource-relatedbucket cookie value of the bucket cookie; and providing, by the firstweb server to the client device, at least the first web resource and thesecond web resource.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprisingoutputting, by the first web server or the second web server, a thirdweb resource request to a third web server for a third web resource, thethird web resource request including the unaltered version of the bucketcookie.
 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining, bythe first web server, whether a cached version of the second webresource corresponding to the bucket cookie exists.